INTERVIEW: Birds of Chicago — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

Birds of Chicago

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IT has been a pleasure speaking with Birds of Chicago…

as they tell me about the new album, Love in Wartime. I learn about the album’s themes and where they head next; how they got together and the importance of Chicago to their music and passion – they reveal whether music, in these tough times, is a catharsis.

I ask whether certain decades and periods have inspired their music; what tour dates are approaching; if there is a new artist we should look out for; whether they get the time to breathe away from music – Birds of Chicago talk about playing in the U.K.

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Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

This week has been nuttier than some, from a travel perspective. We finished a five-week run in Europe with a concert in Shetland, Scotland…then back to London and then on to D.C. One day off (today) to catch up on emails and laundry and then headfirst into North American fest. season with Del Fest and Nowhere Else festival.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

We’re Birds of Chicago. We’re a collective of about seven musicians. We ebb and flow as far as who’s on the road - but the constants are Alli Russell and JT Nero…

Love in Wartime is your new album. Can you talk about the themes and inspirations that go into it, thematically?

For me, the mandate for music, and art in general, is to allow you to wrestle with the bleakest, most terrifying or otherwise completely shit*y aspects of being alive on this planet in a way that somehow feels joyful. That’s all Rock and Roll has ever been to me, but that’s everything…

Obviously, Chicago plays a big role in your name – ‘Birds of Chicago’ – but was it vital when it came to the tones and subjects of the album? How compelling was it as a backdrop?

When we chose the name in 2013, I felt it was important to represent Chicago in that fundamental way, because Chicago’s energy - its swirling mass of energies, I should say - has always informed our sound and our poetry in a massive way.

Allison and JT. How did you meet one another? Was there an instant musical connection when you met?

We met through mutual musical pals. The musical connection was instant and powerful; so powerful that we spent an absurd year or so trying to pretend that there wasn’t anything else between us. We were both scared of messing up the musical bond that was there.

I hear elements of the 1970s and other decades; there is a mix of sounds and sensations. Who do you rank as the most important musicians in terms of your own sounds?

There is no doubt we were channelling some '60s and '70s concept album energy with this record but, at the same time, I can’t think of an album that was a specific touchstone…more a fondness for the ambition to create something with some real peaks and valleys in its scope - and a confidence to bring a wide sonic palette to bear and still imprint our identity upon it. That is something I associate with so many iconic records of that time frame; whether it was The Band, Marvin Gaye, Paul Simon; Joni Mitchell and Sly Stone…

In terms of, politically, what is happening in the U.S. and the state of the world in general; is music both a catharsis and a way of translating frustrations into something productive? Is music a way of rationalising what we are all going through?

It has and has always been. However rough we think it is now, it’s been a lot rougher - and music has always been that forum that allows one the miracle chance to hold up the bleakest aspects of human existence, right alongside the most fantastic joys and treat them both with something bordering on ecstasy.

PHOTO CREDIT: Yve Assad Photography

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

It will be hard to avoid us! We’ll be touring all-year-long. All over North America and Europe.

I do believe you are stopping off in the U.K. Have you played here before? What do you think of the music here?

Birds of Chicago have played the U.K. several times. We like it very much. The U.K. Americana scene is particularly strong right now. At last year’s Americana conference, the U.K. artists really showed out. Yola Carter, for instance, came in and shut the whole thing down every time she opened her mouth. Exciting times.

What do you hope to achieve in 2018?

I would like to diversify my portfolio, financially. I am considering moving three or four-hundred dollars from my checking to something financial advisers call a ‘savings account’. I’d like to play a ton of shows in many ports of call and write a bunch of songs. We keep it simple around here

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

We sang Paradise with John Prine for the finale of the Ann Arbor Folk Fest this year. Nothing tops that.

What advice would you give to new artists coming through?

If you are considering getting a gold front tooth now that you have a little money coming in, probably don’t do that. If you are writing a song that has a little bit of an Island groove; avoid consciously or sub-consciously singing in a fake patois.

If you feature harmony singing in your sound, try to avoid using the adjective ‘stunning’ in your bio when you describe your harmonies. That’s about all I’ve got…

IN THIS PHOTO: Raina Rose

Are there any new artists you recommend we check out?

Raina Rose. A formidable poet, witch and truth singer. Full disclosure: I am producing her next record!

Do you get much time to chill away from music? How do you unwind?

We aren’t ever away from music but, when we are away from touring, I have been doing some production work with my partner, Steve Dawson. Alli has been training in mixed martial arts. She has always been interested in ancient forms of fighting, but she’s specifically focused now on developing the most efficient, brutal combination of many of the old disciplines.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Stella seed - Sean Hayes (from the album Run Wolves Run)